ROCKFORD — Some Rockford School Board members are concerned that a change in student assignment could put the district back into legal trouble.

Board member Jeanne Westholder, who supports keeping the district’s current choice plan, said it’s one of the reasons why she’s against a switch to a geographic-based zone plan.

“It’s important to be looking at it carefully,” Westholder said. “I’m not satisfied that we aren’t moving toward troubled waters.”

Board members were told before the Nov. 9 presentation on elementary student assignment that a change to elementary school zones wouldn’t put them in danger, but the city’s history tells them to be careful.

In 1989, Rockford residents known as People Who Care accused the district of inequitable allocation of resources between east- and west-side schools. The district was later mandated to desegregate its schools. As a result of the suit, the district implemented a “controlled choice” student assignment plan that relied on race-based assignment to schools.

That lasted until June 2002 when the district earned unitary status. Since then, elementary students have been assigned to schools under a “modified choice” plan that doesn’t include any racial factors.

There’s a perception now that west-side schools are lower-quality schools, said board member Lisa Jackson. She fears a lawsuit will come along with a change to student assignment zones.

That perception lingers from the People Who Care lawsuit, she said, and it’s likely why the community is so divided when it comes to choice versus zones.

“It’s a perception that’s been in this community for a very long time,” she said.

There’s some validity to the idea, but only because some PTOs aren’t as strong or there isn’t as much parental involvement, she said.

Colleen Polak is a PTO member at Lathrop Elementary School, a west-side school. She doesn’t often hear from other Lathrop parents, because some work two or three jobs to make ends meet.

“You have to,” she said.

Polak looks past the stigma associated with west-side schools having less-qualified teachers or teachers who don’t care as much as those at east-side schools.

“It’s not like it used to be,” she said. “We’ve got a lot of teachers who really care over here.”

Board Vice President Harmon Mitchell said he’s convinced the proposed plans are straightforward and won’t erupt into a legal battle.

“I just don’t see how it could happen,” he said. “The No. 1 thing is quality of education. As long as quality is there, they shouldn’t have a problem.”